from the Spirit how comes it to pass that the Spirit never moves them as it did in the Apostles days to pray and prophesy in unknown Tongues When we shall see in their Assemblys as the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles did in the Primitive Christians Meetings that they have the Gift of Tongues and the gift of interpreting thereof when together with the Gift of Tongues we shall see that they have as the Christians had all the other miraculous Gifts when we shall see that they shew themselves to be Prophets and spiritual in receiving what this Apostle hath written in particular that a Woman should not speak in the Church as the Commandments of God And lastly when with all this they shall preach no other Doctrine than what the Apostle hath preached and the Catholick Church received then we will believe if they be lawfully baptized that it is the Spirit which is speaking in them and that God is in them and among them of a truth but till then we must believe them all to be Impostors or Enthusiasts or Blasphemers of the Holy Ghost Thus he enough to silence all their pretences to immediate Inspiration Calv. adv Libertines c. 2. which has been the common Stalâ— of each fanatical Party to influence the People by so the Libertines would boast of their Intimacy with God and all See Rutherford's Sâ—â—vey of the Spiritual Antichrist cap. 9. p. 55 56 57 c. their talk was de Spiritu of what Communications they had from the Spirit as Calvin notes Henry Nicholas the first nominated Elder of the Family of Love pretended to Visions and Revelations and Conferences with Angels and said He was raised by the highest God â—anointed with the Holy Ghost godded with God in the Spirit of his Love Caspâ—r Swenkefield pretended to the Spirit and Enthusiastical Dreams called for spiritualness and the Spirit and the Rutherf cap. â— p. 15 16 c. Id. Part 2. p. 211. internal Word revealed his fancys to Luther who sharply rebuked him but to no purpose Pertinacy cleaving to the Plague of Heresy says our Author his Errors are there recited they were condemned by a Synod at Norimburg Anno 1554 and by the Confession of the Divines of Mansfield 1555. who tell us he had vexed the Church thirty years That American Jezabel as she is called Mrs. Hutchison deceived and drew away many boldly asserting that her peculiar Revelations about Events to fall out were as infallible as any parts of Scripture and that she was as much bound to believe them as the Scripture for the same Holy Ghost was the Author of both It were endless to recite what is said of this sort of People who all deluded the World with the Pretence to Visions Revelation and immediate Teachings from the Spirit which was the shield they laboured to secure themselves by when assaulted by the Ministers of the Gospel and therefore we have great reason to caution our People against itching Ears and the being fond of new things but more especially to avoid those who pretend to new â—ights and Revelations as being but Wolves in sheeps clothing remembering that 't is recorded to the great praise of the Bereans that upon St. Paul's preaching they searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so To the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them which shows that this ought to be their rule to try all Doctrines by CHAP. VI. Of the SCRIPTURES G EO FOX in his Piece stiled News coming out of the North written See Brief Discov p. 9. from the Mouth of the Lord c. saith Your Original is Carnal Hebrew Greek and Latin A learned Man reading this wondered and well he might how Latin came to be an Original and we cannot guess unless it be to make a court to the Church of Rome which has decreed the vulgar Latin to be as infallible and authentick as the Greek and Hebrew and had he brought in the Latin Service as well as the Latin Bible we had been Al-a-Mode Roman Who knows tho not he yet his infallible Successors may one day make that authentick too Oh this Infallibility can do strange feats when it pleases But he goes on Your Word is carnal the Letter and the Light is carnal the Letter their Original is but dust which is but the Letter which is Death and their Gospel is but Dust Matthew Mark Luke and John which is the Letter To this Geo. Whitehead answers here That the Letter it self is not made up of spiritual Matter or of lasting materials but of such as will decay and turn to dust A wonderful discovery That your Gospel Matthew Mark Luke and John are not printed with never-failing Ink and upon immortal Paper he tlls us in Innocency Triumphant p. 17. they mean no more than the Writings abstractly considered as in Paper and Ink and false Ministers dead preaching and commenting on them Well George if thou hadst but as much honesty as wit tho in that there is but bare measure thou wouldst not abuse us with such a trifling Answer Was ever any thing properly called Carnal that was not capable of being made spiritual Carnality being only the want of Spirituality in a Subject capable And 't is as improper to say Ink and Paper are carnal as a Stone is blind would it not be a wise business for one to discourse of a carnal Dog a carnal Horse a carnal Tree or a carnal Block as if there were those that could be spiritual But further who ever thought the innocent Letters of the Alphabet and the Scrivener's Bottel should be accused as carnal or Hebrew and Greek should have the fortune to be censur'd as carnal Languages and not French Spanish or Italian unless it was because Hebrew and Greek were the first Languages whereby the Doctrine of Salvation was conveyed to the World without the least mention of Light within unless with a note of infamy if the Light in thee be darkness O! 't is this carnal Hebrew and Greek which has done us all the mischief that has chok'd us with this Serpents meat But Fox tells us We Dogs Serpents Swine feed upon the Letter which is Death tho we think 't was never heard that ever any fed upon the Letters of the Alphabet and a Bottle of Ink and took them for his dinner or how Pen Ink and Paper should kill any unless he were such a Fool as to choke himself by swallowing his Bible No no Quakers are not so silly tho wicked enough to think so there 's no question but 't is somewhat conveyed to us by their Letters and Languages they have their spight at as appears further by what he saith here Your Word is Carnal and your Light is Carnal your Gospel is Dust Matthew Mark Luke and John which is the Letter Sure our Word our Light our Gospel our Matthew Mark c. are somewhat
the fifth Chapter where we discern what gave occasion to this Exhortation he Heb. 5. there distinguishing Christians into two Classes Babes and strong Men i. e. perfect and imperfect both of which he describes at large And from thence v. 12 13 14. this learned Person asserts That the utmost height to which the Scripture exhorts Dr. Lucas Rel. Per. 2d edit 3. pt of Enq. p. 5 6. us is nothing more than a steady habit of Holiness That place of St. John purifyeth himself even as he is pure speaks not their attaining to Perfection equal with Christ's but their taking him for their Pattern daily to regulate themselves by and the Term even as signifies an Analogy i. e. a Proportion 1 Jo. 3. 3. Sutableness and Agreeableness not an Equality Another place he cites to prove this Perfection of Purity but that speaks of the whole Church Eph. 4. 12 13. which the Apostles and other Ministers were constituted to render exact and orderly fitted in every part in which there should be no Chasm no Luxation but every thing duly placed with great Coherence and Agreement and this Church he compares to a Body and Christ to the Soul that animates it and as the Soul when the Organs of the Body are by degrees strengthened puts forth its Powers till the Body comes to an Age of Consistency so is the Church actuated by the Spirit of Christ till it comes to a consistent State and at last the Holy Jesus presents it to his Father without spot or wrinkle but 't is not so whilst in this Life And after all this Is it not Blasphemy to say That 't is the Doctrine of Devils to preach that men shall have Siâ— and be in a Warfare as long as they be on Earth since they are not absolutely perfect and therefore win have Sin inherent in them at their best state and adhering to their best Works See this Doctrine of Perfection discoursed of by Dr. Lucas in his Religious Perfection or the third part of the Enquiry after Happiness with reference to the Chap. 2. Quakers Tho that good Man is so candid that he will hardly believe the Quakers P. 22 23 c. 2 d Ed. designed any thing more by their asserting Perfection in this Life than the arriving to a steady well-settled habit of Wisdom and Goodness which he may be convinced of by what we have already quoted and aâ—oâ— peruâ—ing See also Geo. Keith ' s 4 th Narrative P. 10. to 22. concerning their sinless Perfection Geo. Fox's Great Myst in the several pages here refer'd unto page 4. line 19. p. 7. ult 12. med 24. l. 15. 27. l. 11. p. 30. med usque ad fin p. 37 38 39 40 41. ult p. 51. med p. 124. ult 125. per â—ot 133. ult p. 137. med 156. ult 157. init 159. ult 160. init p. 231 232 243 251 252 253. ult p. 257 258 277 279 280 282 286 288 293 307. ult 318. ult 320. med And also by consulting a Piece called Ishmael and his Mother caffâ— out p. 3. in Quarto where George Whitehead's and three other Quakers Answer to their Adversary was in these words But thou and thy Generation hates this and says that there is no Perfection to be attained here O thou blind Guide did Christ ever command any thing that might not be accomplished or did he speak of being perfect not till after death here thou dost deny the very End for which Christ came who came to take away Sin and in him is no Sin Mat. 1. 21. 1 John 3. 3 4 5 6. 1 John 5. 18 c. So also pag. 12. Thou sayen say these four Quakers to their Adversary the Priest the most eminent Believer sins in many things O thou Blasphemer and Slanderer of the Just reply then when wilt thou cease from thy Lies and Blasphemy where dost or canst thou prove such a Scripture as the most eminent Believer sins in any things when the Scripture saith He that believeth is born of God and he that is born of God sinneth not for whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him and he that commieteth Sin is of the Devil and there 's thy condition and he is thy Father who is the Father of all Liers as thou art 1 John 3. 3 4 5 6 7 8. But more plainly and directly from that Account Will. Baldwinson gives in a Letter of his dated Jan. 14. 1653. and attested by three others where he declares that before a company where James Naylor and Richard Farnsworth were setting out this Doctrine of Prefection he demanded of them in these words Friends do you hold that a Man may attain to that height of Perfection in this Life to be as perfect as pure as holy and as just as God himself And he asserts that they jointly reply'd Yea and they were so For which look The Defence of the Snake in the Grass Part the First pag. 88. But that the best of Men were liable to commit Sin the Man after God's own Psal 91. Heart David found it so and confessed it and the Church of God complained that their Righteousness was as filthy Rags not that their Righteousness was Sin but that Sin cleaved to and blemished their best Performances as clean Water running through a Channel not perfectly clean contracts some Soil Neither do we say that this Pollution makes the Work cease to be good or puts the doer into a state of Damnation because God for Christ's sake forgives the Imperfection and reputeth the Duty good for the sake of that part which his own Spirit wrought And are we not in a state of Warfare whilst on Earth when the Apostle saith Gal. 5. 17. That the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other and therefore there will be a War betwixt Rom. 7. 20 21. them so that ye cannot do the things that ye would And I delight in the Law of God after the Inward Man But I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind And-to what end did holy Paul so nicely describe the whole Armature of a Christian if it were to hang up for a show only as rusty pieces are wont to do in a time of Peace No he directs to put them on telling us our Warfare is not so much with evil Men as with evil Spirits We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual Wickedness in high Places Eph. 6. 12 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God c. God himself published this War first in Paradise declaring that our Lives should be a continual Warfare Gen. 3. 15. with the Devil I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou
Wenching and Fornicating which were the Wolf in him were not discovered till some time after Leeds in his Trumpet sounded p. 64. tells us of a counterfeit Quaker who tho a silly Woman could put a cheat upon their pretended Spirit of discerning how she travel'd from Meeting to Meeting through several Countries and held forth most powerfully and was entertained by Friends as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their great refreshment and admiration and never discerned to be no Quaker till discovered by others So that now they admit none to travel upon Truth 's account without Certificates Whitehead in his Quaker plainness tells us they have a record in peoples Consciences but now they must have a record in their Pockets too or their Friends will not receive them upon a Conscience-Record Who doubts but Judas was wicked enough yet the people might hear him and follow him whilst in his Doctrine he followed the Instructions of his Master Nay there is no doubt he might convert some by his Ministry and they receive Nourishment from this Wolf as Romulus and Renues from another seeing the efficacy of the Ministry depends not so much on the worth of the Minister as upon God's Grace Far be it from us to plead for the profane and scandalous we could heartily wish there were no more of such Wolves in the Church than there are of the other sort in the Kingdom because tho God may cooperate with the Ministry of such if their Doctrine be according to Truth and Godliness yet he does not so usually do it unless their Preaching be accompanied and enforced with the visible Doctrine of a holy Life Remember Judas was one of the Twelve sent out by Christ to gather a Church and it were an impeachment of the Divine Wisdom to say he made choice of an 2 Cor. 2. 17. Instrument which was no ways fit for the work As for the two Scriptures 1 Thess 1. 5. which he produces when he tells us what he brought them for whether to prove Infallibility or Transubstantiation we will return an answer P. 7. But there is another Quotation out of G. Fox given him by the Brief Discovery which George Whitehead is pleased to take no notice of and it is P. 96. this He says to the Priest Thou not being infallible thou art not in the Gr. Myâ—â— Spirit and â—o art not a Minister of Christ and art not able to judg of Powers that is not infallible nor Magistrates nor Kingdoms nor Churches So then it seems Powers Magistrates Kingdoms and Churches are to be judged at this infallible Bar. 'T is to be feared 't was this Judgment of such a Light within that câ—ndemned and cut off the Head of one great Magistrate in our own Country for nothing can stand before its High Court of Justice all Power P. 13. in Heaven and Earth as W. Smith in his Primer saith being given to it Let the Magistrates look to this perhaps ere long they may find it as necessary for their preservation to cause People to renounce the Authority of a Pope within as of a Pope without Whereas Edward Burroughs was charged in the Brief Discovery as saying Hereticks are infallibly known and discerned by the P. 7. Spirit of God in the true Church of Christ and by every Member of the same George Whitehead endeavours to justify him by desiring the contrary may be P. 13. inverted upon us and then saith he it must be thus That Hereticks are not infallibl known and discerned by the Spirit of God in the true Church of Christ nor by the Members thereof But George wilt thou never play fair with us always dropping the Card out of thy hand that may spoil thy Game Shouldst not thou have said by every Member thereof No that were too invidious and it would have been hard to have brought off Brother Burroughs handsomly for making too large a stretch if he had said every Member therefore he cunningly shuffles in an Indefinite for an Universal The Members of the Church which cannot imply every individual Member as Burroughs said but may mean some few of them as the Church-Representative in their yearly Juncto But does not Burroughs expresly say Hereticks are known infallibly by the true Church of Christ and every Member thereof And is this a fair Conversion of such a Proposition to say The Members thereof Whitehead hath some Scriptures which he hopes may help him at a dead lift to prove this Infallibility of discerning amongst the Quakers but 't will easily appear they have not the least disposition to testify to this Infallibility nay that 't is impossible to wring such a sensless Blasphemy from them for can any imagine the Scriptures of God should go about to set up another God which they would do should they assert another infallible Yet give us leave out of pure Love to them to rescue them from such barbarous violence that they may only give their voluntary and unconstrained Testimony in this matter We will begin with the last being a reserve he places the greatest Confidence in Enoch prophesied of this Behold the Lord cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he Jude v. 14. 15. would have it rendred in ten thousands of his Saints and denote only Christ's coming in the Spirit into his Saints and then it must be only a Christ in them must execute Judgment upon the Ungodly and convince them c. and so Christ will have as many Courts of Judicatory as there are Saints in which he shall judg and condemn Sinners But all this while tho Christ in executing Judgment be every where infallible in judging or discerning how proves this the Saint is so in whom he is But perhaps he means every Saint must be infallible in his Judgment having such an infallible Director and Mover within him But the Lameness of this consequence is shewn before it will be still with us as with our Watches tho the Spring be never so strong and good yet by reason of some Cracks and Bruises it got by the fall there may be some Errors and Stops in the motion even of this Masterpiece of the Creation which was at first so fearfully and wonderfully made by God But after all 't is plain the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be rendred as in our Translation with and it was never otherwise interpreted by any Christian Writer than of the coming of Christ to Judgment with his Saints to this day till it fell into Quaker hands We have a parallel Deut. 33. 2. place He came with thousands of his Saints So The Lord my God shall Zach. 14. 5. come and all the Saints with thee At the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with 1 Thess 3. 13. all his Saints Which he explains by being caught up together in the Clouds to Chap. 4. 17. meet the Lord in the Air. Mind but the Context and it will necessarily â—â—ad to
nay when they say 't is Blasphemy to say they are the Word of God and they are no rule at all to us All is for the wonderful deference they have for those â—â—â—â—ed Books For shame â—ir after all the Wounds you have given to the Scriptures to add Mockery and Scorn to Stripes and after you have spit upon them reviled and buffeted them to put the Purple and the Crown upon them as the Jews did upon their Author after such Indignities to cry out O how we love and honour them after the Treason to bestow the Kiss See Will. Penn's Courtship to the Scripture * Reâ—â—inder p. 1â—â— but especially Sam. Fisher's †Additional Append. p. 21. He calls the Scripture a Nose of Wax and it 's capable of being made no other a Character he took from the mouth of a Jesuit Andradius but Quakers we hope like it never the worse for that We could easily shew you that all the Arguments that Fisher and Pen use to prove the Scriptures are not the rule of Faith are the same the Papists have used this 100 years if they had been 7 years at School at Rome they could not have spoke Italian plainer than they have done A little further Fisher tells us he and the Quakers have put it to the question how it may be known infallibly that the Scripture is all of God and not a cunningly devised Fable He tells us of the uncertainty of Translations the various Lections and the loss of many Portions of them which they needed not have taken such pains about for the Papists have done that before and Penn in the forecited place hath mustered up a great many more such Popiâ—â— Objections against the Scriptures which were cast in our dish by Papists and as often answered before Quakery was born but all that you must understand is said for the great respect they bear to the Scriptures Reader if thou desirest to see more of such respect to the Scriptures see Parnel p. 16. You Teachers are doting upon Scriptures without with your dark Minds with the blind Pharisees seeking for life where it is not to be found P. 18. We can do all things without the Scriptures or any thing without Solomon Eccles coming into a Church at London naked and besmeared with T d carrying his â—ands fuâ—l of the same Filth compared it to the Bible which the Minister carried in his hand into the Pulpit Fisher in his Velara Revelata p. 845. says Such Men as the Scribes are ever scraping in the Scripture to find God yet never know him nor see his Shape To call our love to the Scriptures a senseleâ—s Dotage to compare David's Hony and Hony-comb as he calls the Word to a stinking Excrement and our reading the Scriptures to a Brute's scraping or rooting in a Dunghil must needs manifest a mighty respect they have for those Writings By the way does not Fisher deserve to be accounted Angelicus Doctor for talking of the Shape of God how glad would some Papists be if he could shew it them that they might draw his true Picture by it Lorreto Market would go near to be spoiled by it and most of her Votaries would come thronging hither sure to worship an Original But as a further Testimony of their respect for Scripture hear what Smith Morning-Watch p. 22 23. says Reading in the Scripture that there were some that met together exhorted one annother edified and comforted one another they observe and do as near as they can what is the Saints practice and so conceive a Birth in the same Womb and bring it forth in the same strength that others do these are Bastards and not Sons for these adulterous Births have provoked the Lord and gâ—â—â—â—â—ed his Spirit What an hellish Smâ—ak is this a Belch sure from the bottomless Pit to say that our meeting together according to Scripture Examples to exhort comfort and edisy one another is no better than going to a Brothel-house for there can be nothing but Bastards got by it and adulterous Births This may pass for another Quaker-Panegy rick upon Scripture Penn calls Searchers of Scripture as Faldo quotes him p. 113. and in his Answer Penn does not deny it Lettermongers We suppose though he differ in expression from his Brother Smith his intention is the same he means Whoremongers or Bastard-getters All these Quotations have we brought to prove Friend Whitehead's Assertion That Quakers have a marveilous Honour for the Scripture though we believe heâ—ll hardly be so grateful as to give us thanks for our pains In a Testimony from the Brethren in London met 66 together signed Farnsworth Parker Whitehead see Brief Discovery p. 11. l. 5 they say If any difference arise in the Church we declare and testify that the Church with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ hath power without the assent of those that differ to hear and determine the same and if any of ours will not submit so to be tried nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit of truth in the Elders and Members of the same being consistent with the Doctrine of such good antient Friends as have been and are found in the Faith agreeable to the witness of God in his People viz. the Light within then we testify in the name of the Lord that he or she is to be rejected and joined with Heathens and Infidels Mark we pray if he or she kick against their Judgment consistent with the Doctrine of antient Friends and agreeable to the Light within Here is no notice taken of the Scriptures how agreeable or disagreeable soever it be to them And p. 23. l. 26. yet Whitehead hath the face to say this makes nothing against them It seems to be a small fault or none with G. to take away the Commission God hath given to the Scriptures to be Judg of Controversys in matters of Faith The Question G. is not whether the Church hath any Power in matters of Religion which is all thou provest from Mat. 18. 17. and we know none deny it 1. If it be exercised about indifferent matters in Discipline and Worship we allow her not only a Judgment of discretion to discern what 's fit to be imposed but also an authoritative Judgment to oblige her Members to obedience or else she would have less Authority over her Members than every Master hath over the Servants of his Family 2. As for things that are necessary to Salvation we think our selves only obliged to submit our Faith and Practice to the Authority of God in the Holy Scriptures and not to the Authority of any Church pretending to Infallibility meeting together in Treat or in Gracechurch-street So then that which we find fault with you for is a profane neglect of Holy Scriptures in determining matters of Faith or Doctrine that your Church should censure its Members only for this cause that you will not submit to the Authority of the Churches Judgment
Chapter v. 1â— Simon himself believ'd viz. seemed to do so and he was baptized too they will not say sure such a Wizard as he was baptized with the Holy Ghost In ver 1â— 16. he prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost for as yet he was fallen upon none of them only they were baâ—tâ—â—ed into the Name of the Lord Jesus We think we shall not need to prove that Water Baptism hath been the Practice of the whole Christian World to this day 't is sufficient we have shewn several Commands out of Scripture for Water-Baptism and also several Instances wherein it hath been practised in the Apostles times but not one single Instance can we give in the Scripture where it s said Go and baptize or be baptized with the Holy Ghost not one Text where the Baptism practised in Scripture is called the Baptism of the Holy Ghost It would have been a very gracious Condescension to our Weakness if by the Baptism of Water so often mentioned in Holy Scripture there had been nothing meant but the Baptism of the Holy Ghost to have delivered it to us in more plain and express Terms and called it in some place or other the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and told us 't was not Water-Baptism was commanded or practised since we poor ignorant Creatures are so apt to take Water for Water and a Command for a Command and had always been accustomed to that of Water Besides such a continued Chain of Practices from Christ's Ascension to this day must needs inser either Christ's Institution or their gross Superstition We have shewn before that this Baptism was not John's and if the Apostles were the Authors and Beginners of such a Practice we would be glad to know whether it were in their own wills or no whether they had a Revelation and Command in themselves from the Spirit of Christ within Edw. Burrows says For you to go P. 47. without the moving of the Spirit in your own wills and strength God hares this and upon this is his wrath And Whitehead says To baptize preach and pray P. 22. l. â— they that perform these Acts in their own wills without the moving the Spirit they are not accepted therein but rejected of God We hope they will not say that the apostles baptized in their own wâ—lls and it was but a carnal Câ—â—nitical popish Sacrifice they offered herein If they had not a Command in themselves supposing they had had none from without they were Will-worshippers and if they had they must have it from Christ Again here was such a Privilege annext to this Water-Baptism Regeneration Remission of Sins Titus 3. 5. Joh. 3. 2 5. Acts 2. 38. and 22. 16. as proves it to be more than the dabbling the Face with a little common Water as they profanely scoff a Privilege cou'd never have been joined to it but by Christ's Authority Again however it might have been practised in compliance it could not have been imposed upon the Churches by Command he commanded them to be baptized of any Authority less than Christ's without great Superstition Further we prove that all the Scripture Instances can't be meant of Baptism with the Holy Ghost because Baptism with the Holy Ghost in some measure was always preparative to that Baptism no doubt there were further improvements of the Measures afterwards that were the Gifts of the Holy Ghost accompanying Water Baptism and they were to expect the Holy Ghost in the falled and most ample measure after Christ's 〈◊〉 some measure of the Holy Ghost was always required to sit and 〈◊〉 Men for it And when it is said Acts 8. 16. as yet be was fallen upon none of them it can't be meant the Holy Ghost was not come upon any of them in any measure at all before the Quakers themselves will not say so sure who tell us the Light and the Spirit are in every one that was evidently spoken as appears in the 2 Uses following of the Gift of Miracles that Simon so ambitiously affected See Act 8 12 〈◊〉 they believed they were baptized 37. If thou believest with all thine heart Acts 2. 41. Tâ—â—y that gladly received the Word were baptized Act. 16. 14 15. Lydia as soon as her heart was opened was baptized 33. The laylor and his whole House as soon as converted were baptized streightway all this could not be without some previous Gift of the Holy Ghost to them to put all out of doubt See Acts 10. 47. Can any forbid Water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we Farther Baptism was appointed as a means whereby the inward Baptism of the Holy Ghost was given and therefore the Scripture-Baptisn was not the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Acts 2. 38. Be baptized and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost as also Fphes 5. 26. that he might saâ—ctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water c. and Joh. 3. 5. Farther Water Baptism was appointed by Christ as an initiating Sign whereby Believers were to be admitted into Christ's visible Church and no Man can be admitted into a visible Society by a Sign that is invisible as Baptism with the Holy Ghost is By Baptism we list our selves into Christ's Company take the Milâ—ary wath of Fidelity to him and being baptized we are reckoned Christ's Soldiers and Seâ—vâ—â—â—s Joh. 4 1. He baptized and made Disciples made them visible Disciples by baptizing them which could not be by Baptism with the Holy Ghost which is altogether secret and invisible the â—fâ—e as sâ—on as ever Men were converted they were baptized Acts 22. 16. Why tarâ—â—est thou c. So Lydia as soon as her heart was opened Acts 16. 14 15 so he Jailor ver â—3 〈◊〉 Baptism was the outward Sign Mark oâ— Character appointed by Christ whereby the Sâ—câ—eâ—y of Christians are known and distinguished from all other Societies in the World It were strange if any Society should be distinguished and known from an their by that which is invisible as Baptism with the Holy Ghost is 1. 'T is evident the Church must be a visible Society being a City upon an Hill Matih 5. 14 The Quakers themselves are a Society distinguished by some Marks and Characters oâ— how should we kâ—â—w who were of the Quaker Church and who not Thâ—y have their Marks I say but far from Christ's Appointment they are yeaing and â—â—ying and loudly decrying the outward visible Marks of Châ—â—â—â—s Institution The Disciples of Moses as they were distinguished by their Circumcision and therefore they were called by Horace Curti Judaei so by their Baptism and John's Disciples by their Baptism and Christ's by his This was the Badge and â—â—very the Christians wore to let the World know whose Servants they were and that they were not ashamed of their poor Master that gave it them therefore when they were baptized they were said to put on Christ Gal 3. 17 and when
provides expresly for this Provided always and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if any Assembly of Persons dissenting from the Church of England shall be had in any place for Religious Worship with Doors lock'd bar'd or bolted during any time of such meeting together all and every such person or persons that shall come to and be at such Meeting shall not receive any benefit from this Law but be liable to all the Pains and Penalties of all the foresaid Laws recited in this Act for such their meeting notwithstanding his taking the Oaths and his making and subscribing the Declaration Yes but George Whitehead answers p. 43. As to the Door of our yearly Meeting being kept by some Person or Persons this we hope is no Offence in it self the Door not being locked bar'd or bolted as prohibited But George is it not clearly the design of the Act P. 41. that all Meetings for religious Worship as thou expresly sayest your yearly Meeting is as well as the others upheld in the Name of the Lord for his Worship and Service should be free for every one that pleases to come unto them And does it not as much defeat the intent and aim of the Act to have the Doors secur'd by persons who shall hinder any from entring as to have them locked bar'd or bolted Thou hast we see a tender concern for the Letter of human Laws tho the Letter of the Divine Law is but Dust and Death with you but this is shamefully to baffle the meaning whilst thou strictly observest the Letter of the Law it designing all Religious Meetings should be open not clandestine and secret that nothing blasphemous heterodox or profane should be published there but present notice might be taken thereof yea that under the pretence of Religious Worship there should not be any caballing against Church or State which is always done privately and in the dark But this intent of the Law you defeat by setting persons about the Door that none but whom you please should enter in and because the Door is not lock'd bar'd or bolted you conclude you make no breach of the Law tho your cunning herein has deceived you if any would proceed to try it it being a Maxim with that great Coke's Inst 〈◊〉 â— Lawyer That Cases out of the Letter of a Statute yet being within the same Mischief or cause of making the same shall be within the same Remedy that the Statute provides But that we may note your Inconsistency herein we observe that in a Book called A just Censure you P. 26. say These meetings are not intendâ—â— for Worship So that as it serves your turn they are either Religious or Political If we speak of your Fund for maintaining of which you raise Mony by Collection Oh! then 't is a Religious Meeting for the care of your Poor and nothing else for you have no mercenary Teachers they singer none of it tho we could and that from good hands tell you other things But if we tell you of the Doors being guarded by men set on purpose to keep People from entring in then 't is no Religious but a Civil Political Assembly not intended for Worship Brief Discov p. 22 23 24. As to what we cited from Mr. Keith Geo. Whitehead puts us off to Thâ— Elwood's Answer hereunto and to be even with him we refer him to the Reply made by an excellent Pen to Tho. Elwood viz. the Piece call'd Satan disrob'd which his Friend Tho. Elwood never thought fit to make any rejoinder unto and we would advise him as Friends never to undertake it What we observed further that when the King and Parliament were so gracious as to include the Quakers in the Act for Toleration it was with this condition That nothing therein should be construed to exempt them from paying of Tythes nay Brief Discov p. 24. as we have been credibly informed their leading Men did then promise some of the Bishops that their People should duly and honestly pay them yet notwithstanding in their yearly Meeting 1693. they order that all Godly care should be taken against the grand Oppression and Antichristian Yoke of Tythes c. This Geo. Whitehead does not in the least deny to show their Gratitude and Ingenuity for the Favours received but labours to strengthen their Testimony by some of the Martyâ—s who were he says of their mind herein especially one Wm. Thorpe This Wm. Thorpe was indeed a zealous but ignorant Man who lived in the Beign of Henry the 4 th but was no Martyr As if our Lord had not said upon a like occasion The Labourer is northy of his Hire and Luc. 10. 7. St. Paul had not sufficiently confirm'd the Ministers Maintenance by asking the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9. 1 4 5 6. these short but smart Questions Am not I an Apostle And if so how comes my Condition to be worse than the rest of that rank Have not we Power to eat and to drink to be maintain'd sâ—mtu Ecclâ—siâ—â— at your cost whom we have preached unto Nay have we not Power to lead about a Sister a Wife as well as other Apostles particularly the Brethren of the Lord and Cephas Have not we as well as they a right to carry about our Wives and Families and have them maintained by the Churches we come unto as Peter and others Or I only and Barnabas have not we Power to forbear working Why should we be denyed the Privilege common to all the rest See Clem. Alex. lib. 3. lib. 7. Stromat and Euseb from him lib. 3. cap. 30. of his Eccles Hist as well as Modern Writers Piscat Parcus Crellius and Slicting in loc Nay he adds v. 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things shall we not deserve Meat and Drink and other necessaries at your hands when by our Ministry ye are inroll'd in the Book of Life and made Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven Do you count it such a mighty thing that you afford us and our Familys Maintenance truly 't is no such great matter But this Argument is too large to be entred upon here and we the rather wave The Author of the Snake in the Grass it because 't is not only done already but promised by a worthy Person to be considered which is already come out with respect to the Quaker Arguments against it in a Treatise by it selt Touching a Register kept of their Sufferings inflicted for the breach of the Laws 't was so evident and notorious that Geo. Whitehead could not deny it for their yearly Epistle 1693. found fault with their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings for not sending up Brief Discov p. 25 26. full and complete Records thereof and charged them to take more care for the future But it seems they were too full to be true for Mr. Pennyman who was one of them about 20